Why “Bring Your Child to Work Day” Is so Important

When you bring a child to work, you introduce them to a whole new world – and a new side of you.

It’s likely that when you were young, you didn’t hear quite as many stories of women excelling as professionals or in careers traditionally held by men. But whether in investment banking, education, medicine or business management, we know women are capable of leading and thriving in an array of professions and roles.

That idea is exactly what members of the Ms. Foundation for Women set out to reinforce when they began the Take Our Daughters to Work Day in the early 1990s, which was later updated to Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. They hoped that by introducing children to different professional environments, they might ignite in them new dreams and confidence. Since they began the event, which takes place on the fourth Thursday of April (in 2019, that’s April 25), it’s grown to include more than 3.5 million workplaces and 37 million working adults.

More than 20 years after the first Take our Daughters to Work Day, it’s still as important as ever to share this view into the professional world with our children. As a parent, bringing your child to work gives them a chance to see you in a different light – away from the meal prepping, school pickups or whatever minutiae might fill your time outside the office. A day at the office gives them a chance to visualize this part of your life and ask questions about it.

Bringing kids to work is also an incredible learning experience for them. While they might not understand all the nuances of your job, they’ll get a chance to see your skills in action as you communicate with co-workers, delegate and practice time management. Plus, it reinforces the importance of getting an education and working hard in school – so they can pursue their own professional aspirations.

Of course, you don’t need to bring your own child to participate in Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. If you don’t have children or yours are grown, what about your neighbor’s kid? Or your niece, nephew or grandchild? Even if they’ve visited their own parents’ place of work, having them tag along with you for a day could show them a whole new world they haven’t seen before.

Whether you plan to observe the event on its official day in April, or simply decide a random Thursday is a perfect day for an extra co-worker, bringing your child to work is an excellent opportunity to help inspire the children in our lives to pursue the career of their dreams.